Delta Force 44, Uptempo 51

The NRF gym was very quiet to start this week. Perhaps it was the rain that kept the fans away, or maybe it was the matchup. But for those not in the building, they missed a great game early. Delta Force jumped out to a 4-0 lead before marksman Nick Blatchford nailed a three. Wanting to one-up his teammate, Mike Won took it to the rack and dropped a Kobe-esque lefty floater in the lane.

But Delta Force hung tough. Working the ball around the perimeter, they were picking the matchups they wanted to exploit. And doing it well. At the same time, Blatchford was being super aggressive as he took it to the rack at will. Bucket after bucket, he was doing damage. With five minutes left in the half, Uptempo’s lead was 19-11.

There’s a lot of different reasons for a low-scoring game. With both teams digging in on defense – playing 2-3 zones – the shots just weren’t falling. And even though Uptempo’s three stars (Scott Williams, Won and Blatchford) can create their own shot better than anyone in the league, it was Delta Force’s ball movement and tenacity that allowed them to make a run before the half. Going into the break, Uptempo led 23-22.

Right out the gates, Williams knocked in a three to set the tone for the second half. Follow that with a Blatchford drive and another Williams bucket, and Uptempo was showing that they mean business. But rather than attack the hoop and chip away, Delta Force kept jacking threes – and missing. On the other end, things were getting nasty. Acting as if they were the Broad Street Bullies, Delta Force was in it to win it.

And before you knew it, Uptempo’s lead was back down to one, 32-31, after Damian Bulluck finally connected on a three. Score a deuce the next trip down for Kelvin Coffey and Delta Force took the lead. Now it was on. A three from Myorr Jahna was followed by a three from Williams, and with 10 minutes to go in the game, the score was 36-36.

The quote of the night has to go to Bulluck: “I get six fouls, son.” And he used them wisely. This game turned into a Knicks-Heat matchup of the mid-90s. Only Stern won’t be handing out the suspensions. As Jay Corbin noted, “Mike Won needs a full-body suit from Nike Pro Combat.” I agree.

With 1:35 left to play, Lenny Dixon hit a shot down low to tie the game 44-44. On the next play, staying true to his word, Bulluck clobbered Blatchford, who went to the line and made two. Needing a basket to tie, Coffey travelled, giving the ball back to Uptempo. Opting not to foul, Delta Force’s defense forced the turnover and they got it right back. After calling timeout, they still couldn’t get a bucket. Sending Blatchford to the line, he made two, eventually sealing the game.

Final score: Uptempo wins, 51-44.

	1	2		T
Delta Force	22	22	-	44
Uptempo	23	28	-	51

Box Scores

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